What to do with old Trek SC 2.5

Triathlon Forum
1

Hello. My beloved bike from my long gone triathlon carreer seems to have reached the end of its life. The rear brake is jammed, and anyways it’s not really something I’d want to use on the road anymore. I still ride a lot, but I don’t see the need for a dedicated TT bike anymore. I do like the frame, and especially the H3 wheels.

I still want to salvage as much as I can. I don’t want to sell it as I don’t think it is safe with the current rear brake.

My options as I see it:

  1. Turning it into a road bike? Has anyone tried mounting a better brake of the SC 2.5? The current specially made brake isn’t available anymore, and I don’t think it’s possible to fit a standard brake under the bb. It does have a mount for the speedbox, that I think could fit a brake on the seatstays, but I don’t know if it has the correct tolerance, nor is there any hole to route a cable up there. I did consider turning it into a road bike, bir I’d need better brakes for that.

  2. Salvage the wheels for my road bike? The H3 is objectively the most beautiful wheel ever made. Fight me. Unfortunately, the freehub is 10s shimano, and HED do not make a compatible 11s freehub for the wheel anymore. I guess I could fit a ahimano 11s mtb cassette, but would that even work with a 11s road rear derailleur?

  3. Hang it on the wall.

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2

I vote wall.

3

You could donate it to a youth cycling org like El Groupo here in Tucson. They will get it road worthy.

https://www.elgrupocycling.org/donate

Several riders have gone on from El Groupo to race as pro’s. The current two that I can think of are Tyler Stites and Matthew Riccetello who is racing on a World Tour team - IPT

4

You can get a Shimano Ultegra 11-speed road cassette and remove 1.85mm from the back of it.

5

I’d tell you to get a new rear brake-they are out there. Fix it up and either sell it or donate it.

6

You can put an 11-speed 11-34 cassette on a 10 speed freehub
.

7

Thank you everyone for your answers. I have been trying to pass it on to friends who want to get into triathlon, but most run a road bike or buy a Canyon (which is what I would most likely do). I think I’ll put the frame on the wall for now, at least until I sort the brakes out. I’ll see if someone in my bike club wants to try out time trialing at some point as well.

Interesting point about the 11-34 cassettes. I am about 4kph slower at 20W more on the road bike (stock Canyon Ultimate), and I’d like know how much faster the road bike is with these wheels. Also allows me to ho a bit faster at the club TT even though I’m riding a road bike.